Planning aluminium shopfronts Durban? Coetz™ makes framed and frameless frontages to measure in Laser Park, Johannesburg, and MC Automations, our parent company, travels to Durban to measure and install them. You can price a framed frontage yourself in the online estimator first.
This page covers what a frontage includes, what it costs, the doors and glass that suit Durban conditions, where we work in the city and how a project runs from 570 km away.
In this guide
What aluminium shopfronts Durban include
- Frame: our 44 mm commercial aluminium frame, in fixed bays with transoms (toplights) above the door line where you need a sign band.
- Glass: 6.38 mm clear laminated safety glass as standard, up to 3 000 mm high per pane; toughened, tinted, solar and obscure glass are quoted with the project.
- Doors: single or double hinged doors, a pivot door, or an automatic sliding or swing door.
- Colour: any powder-coat colour, all at the same price, so the frame can match the brand.
- Installation: measured, installed and, for automatic doors, commissioned by MC Automations on site in Durban.
Aluminium shopfronts Durban prices
Framed frontages are priced per square metre for the aluminium and glass in the online estimator, with hinged doors included in the area. The rate is the same in Durban as in Johannesburg; examples, excluding VAT:
| Shopfront | Area | Price, excl. VAT |
|---|---|---|
| 3 000 × 2 400 mm, single hinged door | 7.20 m² | R13 323 |
| 4 000 × 2 700 mm, double hinged doors | 10.80 m² | R19 984 |
| 6 000 × 3 000 mm, double hinged doors | 18.00 m² | R33 306 |
| 4 000 × 2 400 mm, MC-125 automatic sliding door | 9.60 m² | R17 763 + R27 590 operator = R45 353 |
Installation and transport to Durban are quoted together by MC Automations after a site measure. Frameless frontages, pivot doors and special glass are quoted per project. See aluminium shopfront cost for what changes the price.
Aluminium shopfronts Durban: weather and glass
Durban is humid and subtropical: hot, sticky summers with heavy rain, mild winters, and salt in the air all along the coast from Amanzimtoti to Ballito.
Humidity and heat mean almost every Durban shop and office runs air-conditioning, so the entrance should close quickly behind customers: an automatic sliding door keeps the cool air in and the damp air out far better than a door left standing open. Tinted or solar glass on a sun-facing front cuts the heat load. Near the sea, rinse the frames and tracks with fresh water regularly to keep salt off the finish.
Every frontage is glazed in safety glass, as SANS 10400-N requires at entrances and low level; the standard is published by the SABS. See aluminium shopfront glass for every glass option.
Aluminium shopfronts Durban: entrance doors
- Automatic sliding doors: the MC-125 automatic sliding door system, R27 590 excluding VAT, with sensors, remotes, battery backup and an electric lock, for openings 1 600 to 6 000 mm wide.
- Automatic swing doors: the MCW-100 automatic swing door operator, from R15 900 excluding VAT, for a hinged door that must stay.
- Pivot doors: aluminium pivot doors from R10 494 excluding VAT, or frameless glass pivot doors quoted per project.
- Hinged doors: single and double aluminium hinged doors, included in the shopfront area.
MC Automations services automatic doors every six months, and the operator carries a 24-month warranty. In Durban, see our page on automatic door services in Durban for servicing and call-outs.
Where we install in Durban
MC Automations installs aluminium shopfronts Durban-wide, including:
- Umhlanga and La Lucia
- Ballito and the North Coast
- Westville and Pinetown
- the Berea and Florida Road
- the Durban CBD and the beachfront
- Hillcrest and the Upper Highway
Aluminium shopfronts Durban projects range from units in large regional centres in Umhlanga and Westville, and neighbourhood and strip centres along the coast to stand-alone shops on the main roads and offices in business parks. Mall tenants should also read shopfronts for shopping centres.
Businesses we build for in Durban
Durban frontages cover a wide range: medical suites and specialist rooms in Umhlanga, restaurants and cafés along Florida Road and the beachfront, logistics and shipping offices around the port, and busy retail in the malls and on the main roads of Pinetown and Westville.
Each type of business has its own guide: retail shopfronts, clinic shopfronts, commercial shopfronts for restaurants and showrooms, office entrance doors, petrol station shopfronts and frameless shopfronts. Inside the building we also install glass partition walls and frameless glass doors.
Choosing aluminium shopfronts Durban: a quick checklist
- Keep the cool in: An automatic door closes behind every customer.
- Beat the heat: Tinted or solar glass on sun-facing fronts.
- Salt air care: Rinse frames and tracks with fresh water.
- Estate and centre rules: Get the drawing approved first.
- Any colour, one price: Match the brand or the building.
- Measured and installed: By MC Automations, on site in Durban.
Run through the list before you price the frontage. Most of the cost and almost all of the problems on a shopfront come from three decisions made early: the type of entrance door, the glass, and getting the opening measured properly. Settle those and aluminium shopfronts Durban customers order are quick to approve, make and install.
Looking after the frontage
Aluminium needs little care, but a little care keeps it looking new. Wash the frames with mild soapy water and the glass with an ordinary glass cleaner; avoid abrasive pads and strong solvents on the powder coat. Keep the drainage slots at the bottom of the frame clear so rain can run out, and keep the floor track of an automatic door free of grit. Check the door seals and the lock once a year, and book the six-monthly service on any automatic door, so small adjustments are made before they become call-outs.
Why Durban businesses use Coetz™
- Published prices: the frontage is priced online before anyone travels to site, so the budget is clear from day one.
- Made in our own workshop: frames are cut, assembled and glazed in Laser Park, not bought in.
- One company from measure to service: MC Automations measures, installs and services the frontage and any automatic door.
- Safety glass as standard: 6.38 mm laminated glass in every pane, not cheap float glass.
- Any colour, one price: match the brand without paying extra.
Because MC Automations installs aluminium shopfronts Durban-wide and across the KwaZulu-Natal, the same team that measures your opening comes back to fit it, and is the team you call if anything needs attention later.
Approvals in Durban
Coastal developments and estates often have their own design rules for frontages and colours; get the body corporate or centre to approve the drawing first. Shopping centres have their own tenant design rules, so send the centre the elevation drawing from the estimator before ordering.
Aluminium shopfronts Durban: how a project runs
- Price it: lay out the frontage in the estimator and download the drawing, or send us your architect’s drawings.
- Site measure: MC Automations measures the opening in Durban, checks the floor, the structure and the power for any automatic door.
- Quote: one quote for the frontage, the doors, any operator, transport and installation.
- Manufacture: the frame and glass are made to measure in Laser Park.
- Delivery: the frontage travels about 570 km by road to Durban, insured by us in transit.
- Installation: MC Automations installs and commissions it, planned around your trading hours where possible.
More from Coetz™ in Durban
We also supply automatic sliding doors Durban, aluminium windows Durban, aluminium doors Durban, and MC Automations handles automatic door services in Durban. For the full design process, see custom shopfronts; for Johannesburg and Pretoria, see aluminium shopfronts Gauteng.
Aluminium shopfronts Durban: frequently asked questions
How much do aluminium shopfronts cost in Durban?
Framed frontages are priced per square metre in the online estimator: a 3 000 × 2 400 mm frontage with a single door is R13 323 excluding VAT for the aluminium and glass. Installation and transport to Durban are quoted after a site measure.
Do you install shopfronts in Durban?
Yes. MC Automations, our parent company, measures and installs shopfronts in Durban and in major cities and towns across South Africa.
Where are the shopfronts made?
In our workshop in Laser Park, Johannesburg, and delivered by road to Durban, insured by us in transit.
Which door is best for a Durban shop?
For most busy shops, an automatic sliding door. The MC-125 system is R27 590 excluding VAT and includes battery backup and an electric lock.
Can the frame match our brand colour?
Yes. Any powder-coat colour is available, all at the same price.
How high can the glass be?
Shopfront glass is limited to 3 000 mm high per pane.
Coetz™, Unit 2, 84 Ridge Road, Laser Park, Johannesburg. Call 010 412 0062, WhatsApp 076 613 4418 or use our contact page.